Speaker says power, not religion, motivates terrorist organizations

Tuesday

Jan 21, 2014 at 6:22 PM

Tony Jordan of Oak Ridge, a 27-year CIA veteran, has spent time in some of the most hostile regions in the world for Americans. He recently spoke to the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, telling Rotarians the Muslim Brotherhood is more focused on gaining power than furthering Islam.

Russel Langley/The Oak Ridger

Tony Jordan of Oak Ridge, a 27-year CIA veteran, has spent time in some of the most hostile regions in the world for Americans. He recently spoke to the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, telling Rotarians the Muslim Brotherhood is more focused on gaining power than furthering Islam.

The Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt is but one of 40 terrorist organizations under the larger umbrella of the “The Party of Liberation,” according to Jordan. Americans tend to misunderstand how terrorists think and operate and that misunderstanding is fueled by the American mainstream media, he said.

Jordan lambasted several media outlets and compared modern journalism with the journalism of the past. In the past, he said, there were no bylines and the news was simply reported according to the “five W’s and one H” that journalists live by: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. Modern journalism, according to Jordan, is more about face time and recognition than simply reporting the news.

Jordan also said Islamic groups are not as concerned with Christianity as they are with American and Western power in the world.

Jordan noted that he became fascinated with the study of power at a young age under the tutelage of a Jesuit priest. It is through that study, Jordan stated, that he has determined Islam is more concerned with gaining power than any other objective.

His interest in the Middle East developed when he was returning home from a combat tour in Southeast Asia and spent a month in Beirut. During that month, he decided to return and study Arabic at the American University in Beirut. Before he could do that, however, the university was closed and he went to the American University in Cairo instead.

His career in the CIA led to his various postings around the world. In one posting, he lived in Khartoum in the Sudan. During that time, as it turned out, Jordan said he lived four doors down from Osama bin Laden.

During the closing of his presentation, Jordan stressed to the audience to not let journalists frame their perspective on the issues in the Middle East. He said there are very few in journalism without a “horse in the race,” meaning a stake in the story.

After the presentation, Jordan was asked to clarify his views on journalism. During this interview, it became clear he was speaking of mainstream, large media outlets.